Are You Strong Enough
by KISS1971
Summary: The fleet has been on Earth for 2 years,settling in and trying to figure out why the cylons are just hovering on the edge of the Milky Way.Kara is a member of the hottest band on Earth and has yet to meet Lee. There are some interesting friendships insid
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This fic is AU, that's what I like to write. I have a tendency to stray as far from canon as I can, because I like to see how the characters would develop in different scenarios, and this is one such scenario. I also tend to be long winded and write multi chapter stories. Anyone reading State of Delusion, I haven't forgotten about it, I'm just struggling with the epilogue and there will be a sequel.**

**So please enjoy this fic and let me know what you think. I take criticism well, I love to hear what readers think and what they would like to see happen. Enjoy and please review. **

Chapter One: Coffee at Starbucks

Lee Adama needed coffee, massive amounts of caffeine to combat the fatigue that roared through his body demanding that he go to sleep, now. Unfortunately for both his brain and his body, sleep wasn't on the agenda. He had promised himself that when they had found Earth he would slow down, take the time to appreciate life, after all he had come close to losing his life one to many times for comfort.

But things hadn't turned out quite the way he had wanted, he realized they rarely ever did. Sure he was no longer risking his life everyday by climbing into a viper and shooting toasters out of the cosmos, but he still hadn't slowed down. Hell if he was honest with himself, he'd have to admit that he was running faster now than he did when they were fleeing the cylons.

Promises to himself got lost in the demand of needing certain things. He needed to feel secure, that his world wasn't go to blow up around him and once again force him to flee along with the remnants of humanity. He also needed those creature comforts that had long been denied everyone who had the fortune to survive the destruction of their lives. And the Americans sure knew how to entice a man who wanted nothing more than to chuck it all and disappear. They had offered him a staggering amount of money to stay, help plan a new global defense, train more pilots than he ever had command of, and damn if they weren't cunning; they locked him in for the next five years.

Even though his father had bought a house and planned to retire, he was still aboard the Galactica helping to put measures in place to keep Earth from becoming a battle ground. The president who had been insanely busy trying to keep the last remnants of their people together while fleeing the cylons was even busier now that they had reach a safe haven. Fending for more than 30,000 survivors had her tied up in so many meetings and negotiations that Lee hadn't seen her in over 3 months.

Hopefully that would change in a couple of days. He had thirty days uninterrupted leave scheduled, and after Sam's championship game, they were hopping into the jeep and secluding themselves at the large log home they had purchased in Montana. They would be joined a few days later by his little brother Zak, Tyrol and Gaeta. And if everything went well, the Admiral, President Roslin and Helo would join them in a week. The plan was to kick back, turn of the cell phones and just enjoy each others company without having to look over their shoulders.

The thought brought a smile to his lips as he reached out to the grab the door handle to his favorite coffee shop and collided with another set of hands. Startled by the unexpected contact, Lee pulled back and looked into the face of the person he had come close to mowing down. The woman had on a pair of blue mirrored shades that completely obscured her eyes, and the baseball cap pulled down low almost completely hid her blond hair. He could just see a few wispy strands of blond that had managed to escape and curl around the nape of her neck.

"Sorry," he mumbled stepping back so that she could proceed him through the door.

"No problem," she replied as she swept pass him. Her perfume flowed behind her and beckoned him to follow. She smelled like something spicy and rather delicious. He bet she would taste good with his coffee.

Where the hell had that come from, he pondered as he stepped up behind her at the counter. There were a few people in front of them and he thought that if it took too long he would end up doing something stupid, like trying to find out who she was. He took a moment to study her from behind, and what he saw brought a smile to his lips. She wasn't tall, but then neither was he, and what there was of her was nicely proportioned. He could spend the rest of the afternoon just looking at her ass alone, and thinking up wicked things he could do to said ass. As she stepped up to the counter the sway of her hips had him biting back a groan. It had been way too long since he had been in the arms of a woman that he was becoming desperate.

The sound of her voice pulled him back from his carnal thoughts. It was a strong voice, yet melodious and it has his nerve endings zinging with sexual energy. He needed to get his damn coffee and get the hell out of here. He saw her throw a look over her shoulder, one he is sure is directed towards him and hastily turns back to the barista taking her order.

"Better make that a triple," she says in that voice. Once again Lee feels the electricity zip through his body and he has to suppress a moan. Maybe it's time to take Sam's advise and find a woman, any woman to see to his more basic needs.

"Sir?" The question pulls him back to reality, and Lee opens his eyes to see the young man behind the counter looking at him in silent query. He feels foolish for having been caught not paying attention.

"Venti black coffee, red eye," he said knowing that the extra caffeine would make him jittery, but desperately needing the extra kick at the moment.

It didn't take long for his order to be filled, but it was long enough for him to have lost sight of the woman who still had his body thrumming with excitement. It was probably for the best, he thought as he made his way out of the coffee shop and over to his car. His eyes were drawn to a black sexy little sports car parked in front of his own. Lee took a few minutes to admire the sleek lines of the car, and all but burst into laughter as he watched the woman from Starbucks open the door and slide in. As the car roared to life, she looked up, drew off her sunglasses, fixed him with a sultry smile, and blew him a kiss before she peeled out of the parking lot.

Lee's body jumped at the hint of her flirtation and he didn't even try to suppress the groan that came unbidden to his lips. He leaned against his own car as he watched her maneuver out of the space and floor it. He damn near spilled his coffee as she rocketed pass him and he caught a look at the back end of her car. Two things registered in his brain as she turned onto the street; first was the words Dodge Viper etched onto the trunk and the second was the license plate that simply read _KARA'S._

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Kara knew that Dee was going to have her ass, but she had to get the hell out of that hotel room before she went absolutely crazy. She needed her coffee and she needed the fresh air, without either she would have been in one bitch of a mood. Dee would just look at her with those grey- green eyes and ask what else was new.

She had managed to get in and out of the hotel parking garage without any one being the wiser, not that it was all that difficult a task, after all no one had expected her to be up and swinging at six in the morning. But some habits died hard, and for her they were up with the sun and caffeine for breakfast.

Kara walked through the door of the massive penthouse suite and deposited the bag of goodies and containers of coffee on the first flat surface she could find. She looked out of the large windows and wished she was some place else, any place not populated would do just fine.

"It's about time you brought your sorry ass back," she heard from the vicinity of the sofas located on the other side of the room.

"I brought coffee," she replied hoping to avoid a skirmish before the actual war began.

"It's going to take more than coffee," the voice said popping up from the floor by the fireplace.

Kara smiled at Cally's disheveled appearance. On most days Cally looked like a pixie of a girl with her bright and bubbly personality. No one looking at her would ever guess that she was the drum player of the hottest group on the planet, or that she had one hell of temper. Right now she looked like she had been ridden hard and put up wet, an very apt description considering the night they had.

"How mad is she?" Kara asked sprawling into a chair.

"You know how she gets when she's worried," Cally responded after taking a long pull from one of the coffees. "And for some reason she worries about you."

"I don't know why," Kara said closing her eyes. She immediately popped them back open when the image of fuck me blue eyes swam behind her closed eyelids. She didn't need the distraction of a nameless stranger right now, no matter how much her heart pounded just thinking about him.

"Sometimes neither do I," Kara heard coming from right behind her. She titled her head back and looked into the face of her best friend, and worse enemy. Good thing for her they were all rolled into one person, kept things simple as far as she was concerned.

"Look Dee..." She started, not quite sure what she was going to say.

"Save it Thrace," Dee replied grabbing a coffee and settling onto the couch next to Cally.

Kara winced at the use of her surname. Most people believed that it was just a habit that Dee had carried over from the military, but Kara knew that it went much deeper than that. It was the other woman's way of reminding Kara that Thrace was who she was, not what she was. She may have come from something distasteful, but she had taken it, reshaped it, and made it her own.

"I just need to know that you're not going to fall apart before we finish this last leg," Dee said looking at Kara over the top of her coffee. She worried about Kara because no one else was going to, and because she loved her like the sister she never had.

"I'm fine Dee," Kara said not bothering to hide the exasperation in her tone. She knew that Dee was just concerned for her welfare, and rightly so. After all the band was nothing if all five of them didn't have their shit together.

"Alright then," Dee said standing up and clapping her hands together. "We have the Super Bowl this coming Sunday, followed by the Pyramid Championships on Saturday; I still don't get the idea of that game, and we round off the month with the small concert on the Galatica."

"Sounds good to me," Cally replied standing up and heading for the stairs. "I'm assuming we'll be pulling out of her some time today?"

Dee nodded and watched as the younger woman left the room. Cally would see to the small details of getting them to their next destination, leaving Dee to deal with the bigger issue of Kara Thrace.

"Don't look at me like you expect my head to pop off, or for me to take a swan dive off the balcony," Kara said leveling Dee with a hard stare.

"I would understand if you did," Dee said hoping to avoid a fight.

"I just needed some time to myself," Kara explained.

"And I expect you to take advantage of the down time coming to us," Dee said getting up and going to kneel down in front of her friend, her sister. "Mom and Dad want to see you; they say you've been making yourself scarce and they're worried about you."

"I know," she responded on a sigh. "It's hard to go back there, he loved it there."

Dee sat in silence, holding Kara's hands as the tears rolled silently down both their cheeks. She cursed God for making one person shoulder so much pain, so much hurt and abuse. Kara had always been strong, stubborn, trying not to let the things that happened to her bring her to her knees. It worked most of the time, but not when it came to Benjamin. Every person had their Achilles heel and for Kara Thrace, it was Benjamin.

"Enough tears," Dee said reaching up and wiping the tears from Kara's face. "He wouldn't want you to cry, to wallow in misery. He was sunshine, happiness and adventure; those are the things he would want for you"

"You're right," Kara replied with a watery smile. "So let's do something he would love to do. Come one, don't be chicken."

"Do we have to?" Dee asked petulantly. "I swear every time you force me on that thing, you're just trying to kill me."

"You whine too much," Kara laughed as they rode the elevator down to the garage.

"And with good reason," Dee pouted as they stopped in front of Kara's pride and joy.

The sleek black and silver motorcycle sat next to Kara's viper looking innocent enough, but Dee wasn't fooled. She knew the machine was a beast and it's master was nothing but the devil in a female guise. She barely missed getting hit in the head by the helmet Kara lobbed at her, and she grimaced at the sound of her friend's laughter. She could endure a little bit of sheer terror if it meant bringing Kara back to the present and out of her painful past.

She slapped the helmet in place and settled behind Kara on the bike she affectionately named Demon. Dee had always thought Hell Hound would have been a better fit, and she jumped noticeably as the engine roared to life under her ass. One day she would get her revenge on Kara, she just hoped she lived long enough to plan it out as they rocketed out of the hotel garage and into the bright sunlight of another day on planet Earth.

**A/N: Another authors note, just can't seem to help myself. Dee and Kara as friends, and I mean good friends, that was a twist that I had not planned in the beginning. Please hit that little button and tell me what you think.**


	2. Chapter 2: Singing For A Living

**A/N: Ok, I'm rushing this a bit as I need to leave for work, but I really wanted to get this posted. I also want to mention that this fic is going to be filled with music and every song is significant. Each song will have some importance as the story goes on, and some may not be apparent until the end. I have decided on 10 chapters (which is relatively short for me), so things will hopefully move quickly. There are a lot of surprises, some good, some bad.**

**Thank you for the reviews. I love hearing what you think, and I also love hearing what you would like to see. So please keep them coming.**

Chapter 2: Singing For A Living

The noise level in the stadium was thunderous as the first half of the game came to a close, the players from both teams quickly exiting the field. The game had been enthralling with neither team being able to establish a clear lead. Night had descended an hour ago and when the lights flicked off the stadium was plunged into shadows. The crowd surged to it's feet in a mass of excited humanity as fireworks erupted on the field and the sound of drums split the night air.

Lee sat in the cold nursing his second bottle of beer desperately trying to relax. His last week at the air base hd been a testament to his need for a vacation. Everything that could go wrong did, and it didn't help that his dreams had been haunted a pair of hazel eyes that left him aroused and edgy when he woke.

When he had gotten off on Friday, all he wanted to do was hop in his private plane, fly up to Montana and spend a couple days alone. Instead he was sitting in a cold seat outside of a private box at the championship game of a sport he still didn't understand. Sam said it was important to him that Lee be there, so here he was while Sam was inside with a group of people that Lee didn't know and didn't really care to know.

He was just about to get up and go inside to give Sam the support he needed while hobnobbing, when a voice split the night and grabbed his undivided attention. At first the words were indistinct, meaningless to his ears, it was the voice itself that poured over him like warm liquid that sent his senses reeling. Lee dropped heavily back into his seat, the cold metal unable to penetrate the fire that moved through him.

_Please don't stop the music  
Please don't stop the music  
Please don't stop the music  
Please don't stop the music_

_It's getting late  
I'm making my way over to  
My favorite place  
I gotta get my body moving  
Shake the stress away  
I wasn't looking for nobody when you looked my way  
Possible candidate, yeah_

_  
Who knew  
That you'd be here, be here looking like you do_

_You make and staying over here, impossible  
Baby, I'm a say your aura is incredible  
If you don't have to go, don't_

He felt as if the woman singing on the stage was singing only for him. He easily ignored all the people dancing around her, putting on a show for the thousands of people in the stadium, and the millions watching on tv. Lee zeroed in on her, desperately wanting to know why he felt so drawn to a woman he had never met, a woman who set his heart racing. He jumped visibly when a hand landed on his shoulder.

"Hey buddy," Sam said dropping into the chair next to him. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah," Lee replied distractedly.

"Sure you are," Sam laughed looking at his best friend. "What the hell is wrong?"

Sam was starting to get nervous watching Lee. He was sweating and his whole focus was on the stage in the middle of the field. It took him only a few minutes to realize that something on that stage had captured his friend's interest.

"See something you like?" Sam asked jokingly. He couldn't see the people on stage all that well from where they were sitting, and he was sure that Lee couldn't see much better, until he turned and saw the action on one of the many large screens that surrounded the stadium.

_Do you know what you started?  
I just came here to party  
But now we're rockin on the dance floor, actin' naughty  
Your hands around my waist  
Just let the music play_

We're hand in hand chest to chest and now we're face to face  
I wanna take you away  
Let's escape into the music, DJ let it play  
I just can't refuse it  
Like the way you do this  
Keep on rockin' to it

_Please don't stop the, please don't stop the music  
I wanna take you away  
Let's escape into the music, DJ let it play  
I just can't refuse it  
Like the way you do this  
Keep on rockin' to it_

_Please don't stop the, please don't stop the  
Please don't stop the music  
Baby are you ready cause it's gettin close  
Don't you feel the passion ready to explode?  
What goes on between us no-one has to know  
This is a private show_

Sam drew in a sharp breath at the vision in black and purple entertaining the crowd. He could say that he normally didn't find blondes attractive, but he was willing to throw caution to the wind and give this one a try. She wasn't beautiful in any sense of the word, hell she wasn't even pretty when you got right down to it, but what she was, was mesmerizing. And he wasn't the only one caught in her web, if the look on Lee Adama's face was any indicator.

Another thing that normally didn't happen was him and his best friend attracted to the same woman. He had never seen Lee so enraptured, never in all the years that he had known him had Sam seen his friend look at a woman as he would his viper. And that was the look on the man's face right now, as if he was seeing a shiny new viper, with his name engraved on the name plate.

"I'm sure if given enough time, I could find some way to introduce you to her," Sam said breaking the veil of silence that had enveloped them.

"Meeting her would probably end the illusion," Lee replied cutting his eyes to his friend. "Best we leave well enough alone."

The two friends got up, each giving the stage a final look, then turned to go into the warmth of the suite and the people waiting to be entertained by their adventures fleeing the cylons. Lee Adama never realized that the woman on the stage who had captured his attention was the same one who had captured his imagination at Starbuck's. She had his imagination, his undivided attention, all that was left was his heart.

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Kara Thrace, lead singer of the hottest band on the planet, the Wolf Pack had a secret. For the first time in years she was excited about something, some one had brought the spark back into her hazel eyes. Without being aware of it she smiled and her whole face lit up.

She hadn't been able to stop thinking about the man from Starbuck's. She wasn't able to forget the jolt of awareness that shot through her when her hands had collided with his. She had been unable to stop the warmth that spread through her when she saw those blue eyes, and thanks to her over active subconscious, she saw those eyes every time she went to sleep.

Kara wanted to kick herself for not being more forward and introducing herself that day, and getting a name, a phone number, something, anything. She had driven herself insane looking for him and had given up on finding him until she received a package from her agent.

As she sat in her studio watching footage of the Galactica's vipers, she damn near pissed herself as she caught a glimpse of Mr. Blue Eyes. She watched several more minutes of the footage before she sprang up and placed an urgent call to her agent, Peter Kavanagh.

Now she was sitting on a shuttle being hurtled through Earth's atmosphere on a round trip adventure to her last performance of the year aboard the Galatica. The First Lady had decided to attend the first year wedding anniversary of her new friend Laura Roslin Adama, the President of the Colonies. And her gift to the happy couple was a small benefit concert for them and their closest friends.

Everything had been booked and worked out well before Kara had ran into the man at Starbuck's. She had gotten an idea about one of the songs that they were going to perform, and had needed to some footage of vipers in action. So imagine her surprise when she found out her mystery man was not only a viper pilot, not only Galatica's CAG, but the son of tonight's happy couple, and therefore definitely some one who would be in attendance.

She kept her eyes closed until they touched down on Galatica's deck, and the pilot told them they had reached their destination. Kara peeled her eyes open and gave the man a cheeky grin. He grinned back, a red lollipop hanging loosely from his mouth.

"I'm never doing that again," Dee said vehemently from next to Kara.

"Then you might have some problems getting back home," Kara replied cheerfully.

"You think you're so damn funny Thrace," Dee said unhooking her harness with shaking fingers.

"Do you guy's need any help unloading?" The pilot asked. Helo thought he had died and gone to heaven when he was asked to transport the Wolf Pack to the Galatica. He had become a huge fan of the all female band almost from the moment he heard their music.

"No Ace, we're pretty capable of unloading the heavy stuff," Kat replied as the five friends began to gather their gear in a dance they had perfected over the years.

"I wasn't insinuating that...," he began.

"We know," Margaret replied touching his arm. "Kat's just a bitch and like's for everyone to know it." That brought a chuckle from everyone and the mood lightened.

"Helo was it?" Kara asked him.

"Yeah, my call sign," he replied around the lollipop. He frowned slightly as they a let out little sniggers at his comment, but he decided it was probably not wise to explain any further.

"Well Helo my friend, we could use some help getting to where ever we are suppose to perform," Kara said walking down the ramp.

Helo watched as they group looked around the deck and then began hoisting equipment. Most people from Earth who came to the Galactica, stood around and stared open mouthed; not these five. They seemed to take everything in stride and were now looking at him expectantly.

"Alright ladies, just follow me."

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The small group of people who had been sitting at a handful of linen draped tables quieted when the lights dimmed and some one stepped up onto the small platform. Rustling could be heard from the catering people as they cleared away dishes, and disappeared into the background.

"I want to thank all of you for coming here to help Bill and Laura celebrate," the First Lady Helen Travers said. "I had a long speech and toast planned, then I realized that most of you know these two people a lot better than I do. And you didn't come all they way here just to hear me talk."

There was scattered laughter from the small group of people, and Lee had to bite back a smile when he looked over at the _happy_couple to find them kissing, completely oblivious to the rest of the room. He was happy for his father, and even happier for the President. He knew how much they struggled to smother the personal relationship that had developed between them as they fled through the universe. He was glad that when they had finally made it to Earth the two of them had allowed said relationship to blossom and bring them to this point.

Lee had missed the rest of what the First Lady had said, and was slightly startled when the sounds of a piano cut into the silence of the room. He looked towards the platform and saw that the members of band had taken up their positions and were beginning to play.

He wasn't able to pay any attention to the song that they were playing, his attention riveted to the blond woman sitting on a stool, guitar in hand, singing into a wireless microphone. He knew that this was the same band that played at the Super Bowl, and then again at the Pyramid Championship. And just like before, the sound of her voice pierced right through him, grabbing hold of his heart and setting his pulse to thrumming.

Lee Adama wasn't surprised by any of that. What did startle him was when a spot light shone directly on her and she looked up wight into his fascinated eyes. He felt his body give an involuntary jerk as recognition slammed through him. Starbuck's, sultry smile, an ass that begged to be stroked. The woman who had haunted all of his nights and daydreams as well was once again with in arms reach. And this time he was going to do more than look, this time he was going to get a name.

The evening passed in a haze of wonderful music, desserts and coffee. The mood in the room was mellow and every one was enjoying the performance. A excited murmur rippled through the group as the room went totally black and the two large screens on either side of the platform flickered on.

"Our final song of the evening is a bit more racy," Kara announced, the sound of her voice washing over Lee. "We also put together a little video to accompany it, and we hope you all really enjoy it."

The sounds of electric guitars and drums filled the small room and the sight of vipers being launched from the tubes exploded onto on of the two screens. The group smiled heartily when they recognized Lee's viper as it barrel rolled into space, chasing down raiders.

_I've been looking for a driver who is qualified  
So if you think that you´re the one, step into my ride.  
I´m a fine-tuned supersonic speed machine  
Got a sunroof top and a gangster lead_

_So if you feel it let me know, know, know.  
Come on now what you´re waiting for, for, for.  
My engine's ready to explode, explode, explode.  
So start me up and watch me go, go, go_

Lee tore his gaze from the screen to find a pair of hazel eyes boring into him. He felt the heat spark between them and a small smile spread across his face. She had known before the evening had started that he would be here, and this little presentation was all for him.

_Get you where you wanna go, if you know what I mean.  
Got a ride that´s smoother than a limousine.  
Can you handle the curves, can you run all the lights?  
If you can baby boy, than we can go all night.  
Cause it´s zero to sixty in three point five  
Baby you got the keys.  
Now shut up and drive, drive, drive.  
Shut up and drive_

The excitement level rose as the second screen jumped to life, and a pair F-16 fighter jet roared along side an aircraft carrier. Everyone watched as the jet split apart and climbed into a blue sky that was not marred by any clouds.

_I got class like a fifty-seven Cadillac.  
Start over drive with a whole lot of boom in the back.  
You look like you can handle what´s under my hood.  
You keeping saying that you will, boy I wish you would._

_So when you're ready let me know, know, know.  
Come on and what you´re waiting for, for, for.  
My engine's ready to explode, explode, explode.  
So start me up and watch me go, go, go_

The action on the two screens had people looking back and forth as if they were following a tennis match. There was laughter and groans as several dog fights were played out on both sides. Lee was thankful that the action had been edited to omit the loss of any of their pilots, they had lived through it and they didn't needed to be reminded of what they lost.

_You play that game, got what I got  
Get it get it, don't stop, It's a sure shot  
Ain't a Ferrari, huh boy, I'm sorry  
I ain't need to worry, so step inside  
And ride, ride, ride, drive, drive, drive ..._

_So if you feel it let me know, know, know.  
Come on and what you´re waiting for, for, for.  
My engine's ready to explode, explode, explode.  
So start me up and watch me go, go, go_

_Get you where you wanna go, if you know what I mean.  
Got a ride that´s smoother than a limousine.  
Can you handle the curves can you run all the lights?  
If you can baby boy, than we can go all night.  
Cause it´s zero to sixty in three point five.  
Baby you got the keys.  
Now shut up and drive, drive, drive.  
Shut up and drive_

As the song was coming to an end, everyone smiled when Lee's viper touched down on the hard deck, and his canopy popped open. They watched as he handed off his helmet, and large smile gracing his face. It was the end of the tylium mission and the euphoria that had surrounded him brought a grin to his face. On the second screen they saw the F-16s execute perfect landings and roll into the assigned spots. It shouldn't have surprised any one, but an audible gasp was heard as the canopy popped on one of the F-16 and the woman who was currently singing drew off her helmet and shook out her blond hair.

Lee Adama smiled at the irony of it, after he got over the shock. He stood up after all the applause had died down, and began approaching the platform. He completely missed the little scene going on behind him, his attention riveted on the woman in front of him.

"Hold on there Zak," Sam said pulling Lee's younger brother back.

"What?" Zak asked oblivious to the fact that his brother was already moving forward.

"I think some one else has their eye on her," Sam replied watching. It took Zak a few minutes to catch up, but when he did he looked at Sam in amazement.

"You've got to be kidding me," he all but whined. "She's not his type, she'll eat him alive."

"Be that as it may, we are going to let Apollo have this one," Sam said recognizing the look on his best friend's face. "Tonight we stand aside and let the sun god shine."

**I hope you enjoyed this second chapter. PLEASE let me know, please review. I"ll take any kind of feed back.**


	3. Chapter 3: Club Den

**A/N: I apologize in advance for the length of this chapter; it wasn't suppose to be seven pages in length. I hope you all enjoy it. I may have skated a little close with the rating on this chapter, but I don't think I fully crossed into the mature rating.**

**I must once again thank all of you for your wonderful reviews. They are truly looked forward to and I enjoy every single one. Even the ones that just say please keep writing. **

Chapter 3: Club Den

Lee knew he had lost his mind when he looked out of the tinted windows of his car and saw the screaming mass of humanity barely being held back by the barriers. He looked over at his passenger and wanted to hit him to wipe the smile off the man's face.

"She warned you," was all that Sam said.

Well she had warned him, but the opportunity to see her so soon couldn't be easily ignored. She had invited him to her club in New York and he had not yet been to the Big Apple; so it hadn't taken much to persuade him. And once Sam had found out, he invited himself along, as well as Zak, Helo and Tyrol. Now he was glad of the extra company; shit if he was honest with himself he could do with a few more friends. Like a whole squadron of marines, maybe some viper pilots and hell a couple of centurions sounded good right now too.

"Come on," Sam said grabbing for the door handle. "We can't hide in here all night."

"That sounds like a better idea than getting out of the car," Lee pouted, but found himself reaching for the handle to get out.

He had to give the manufacturers of his car kudos for the excellent sound proofing, because he had been unprepared for the noise level when he exited the ultra sleek sports car. People were screaming, desperately trying to get their attention and he found it all just a little amusing.

Lee Adama had more money and better connections than his best friend, but Sam Anders was the poster boy for Pyramid. And the sport had swept through the states like wild fire and was rapidly storming the rest of the planet; so that put Sam high up on the A-List of who's who. So Lee was sure that several people in the crowd recognized Sam, and that was why they were all but selling their souls to get his attention.

"Mr. Adama, Mr.Anders," a tall burly man said rushing forward to meet them.

"Patrick will park your car in Ms. Thrace's private lot," he said indicating a younger man who slipped into the car to remove it. "The rest of your party has already arrived and been escorted inside. If you'll follow me."

"Is it always like this?" Lee asked over the wall of noise as they hurried up the carpeted walk way.

"Yes," the man replied with a sardonic smile. "Club Den is wildly popular, and the fact that The Wolf Pack is in town drives more people to the club in hopes of getting a glimpse of the band members. You can't get in without an invitation, or being on the club roster, but it doesn't stop people from hoping that one day they'll get lucky."

The noise from the street died once they entered the darkened interior of the club, and the sounds of music reached their ears as they passed through a large foyer where Marco informed them they could check their coats. He led them through a set of large oak double doors and Lee felt the world drop away.

The club was three levels with a central bar and dance floor on each, and a staircase that connected all three floors. On the ground floor there was a large stage and Lee could make out screens on all three floors that showed the action on the dance floor. The music was currently being supplied by a DJ that was set up on the far end of the stage closes to the bar.

Marco led them around the edge of the dance floor that was pulsing with the energy flowing from the mass of dancers to a large table that sat almost in the center of the club. Lee was sure that the table offered the best views of everything that was happening in the club, as well as being the most easily looked upon table. Great, they got to be the center of attention, and people were already turning to stare at them.

Tyrol was the only one sitting at the table when they arrived and he got up handing each of them a drink, a wide smile on his face.

"Not shaking your booty out on the dance floor?" Sam asked taking the drink and pulling up a chair.

"No, Helo and Zak are doing enough shaking for all of us," Tyrol said with a chuckle.

Lee caught sight of Helo with an unfamiliar dark haired woman, but he wasn't sure that what he was doing could be called dancing. He shook his head at his friend as he pulled up a seat and tried to find his brother in the mass of humanity.

He scanned the crowds for several minutes and just as he was about to give up, he saw a flash of blond that grabbed his attention. He felt his stomach tighten and other areas snapped to life as his eyes took in the sexy form of one Kara Thrace dancing with none other than his younger brother.

The two of them seemed caught up in the music and each other, Zak's hand riding low on her waist. Lee wanted to assure himself that they were just dancing, but it didn't keep the acidic burn of jealousy from creeping up on him. He was about to avert his gaze when Kara looked up and pinned him with her hazel eyes. He watched as she placed a hand on Zak's shoulder, leaned in and whisper something into his ear, then turn and walk his way.

Lee wasn't sure what emotions passed over his brother face before he looked like the carefree Zak that everyone knew so well. He knew his brother was use to getting everything he wanted, and he hoped like hell that Zak didn't want Kara, because Lee wasn't sure he could step aside and let him have her. He could admit that they were probably better suited, both of them the out going party types, but she had captured his attention and he wanted a chance to find out what it all meant.

"Dance with me Lee Adama," Kara purred into his ear as she leaned down close to him. She smelled of that tantalizing scent that haunted his dreams and something that made the pulse in his neck jump beneath his skin.

"I don't dance very well," he replied trying not too sound nervous. Her proximity upset his equilibrium and had his hands itched to touch her in ways that would definitely shock his friends.

"I'll take another turn with you out on the floor," Zak offered grinning at his brother's discomfort. He may actually be able to turn this to his favor despite Sam's warnings. He wasn't out to hurt his brother; he just felt that Kara was way more than Lee could handle. He saw it as his way of keeping his brother safe from heart break.

"You've had your turn Ace," Sam replied pushing back his chair. "I could go for a little booty shaking."

Kara inclined her head at the taller man she had a bad case of hero worship for. She was like every other American who had gotten caught in the fever that was Pyramid, and if you liked the game then you had to like Samuel T. Anders. He played the game with a grace and a finesse that was hard not too admire, and his determination on the field was already stuff of legend.

She allowed her gaze to rake over Lee as Sam led her to the dance floor. Her eyes letting him know that he was not off the hook, and that she was going to find some way to get him on the dance floor. He might not come willingly, but damn if he wouldn't come. She smiled at the thought as a sluggish warmth spread through her at the thought of all that maleness in her arms.

Lee was at first grateful, then a little peeved at his friend. He knew that Sam had stepped in to keep anything from brewing between the two brothers, but he didn't have to look like he was enjoying his time on the dance floor so much. Lee didn't like to compete for some one's attention, his rigid code of ethics didn't allow him to be selfish and take everything for himself. Kara had a choice in the process and Lee just wasn't the type to strut about to gain her attention, he'd leave that up to his brother or Sam.

He had lost sight of the pair with there being so many people on the floor. All he could do was sit back, nurse his drink and hope that Kara didn't find Sam as alluring as he himself found her. He had to remind himself that it was him that she invited here; the others came along as reinforcement.

As the current song came to an end, Sam slid back into his seat casting Lee a sly grin then turning his attention to his drink. The house light dimmed throwing the dance floor into shadows, and the distinctive beat of live drums echoed through the club. The crowd went a little wild as realization that the Wolf Pack might be taking the stage settled in.

_You need to stop playing round with all the _

_Clowns and the wangastas_

_Good girls gotta get down with the gangsters_

_Go head girl put some back and some neck_

_up on it_

_While I stand up in the background and check_

_up on it_

_Oh boy you looking like you what you see_

_Won't you come over and check up on it_

_I'm gonna let you work up on it__  
Ladies let em check up on it, watch it while he c__heck up on it_

_Dip it, pop it, twirk it, stop it, check on me tonight_

Lee felt his jaw hit the ground as a spot light swept up onto the stage bathing Kara in soft yellow light. She was glorious in a black halter top that left her midriff, arms and back bare, and a short black mini skirt that looked like it would fall off any second. Her legs were bare, and he was surprised to see that her feet were also bare, and her toe nails were painted a bright red. For some reason that he could not explain those toe nails turned him on.

He felt his body go flush when she looked at him and began swaying her hips to the music. He squirmed in his chair as he realized that she was making her way off the stage and over to him, every eye in the place on the way she was moving.

_If you got it flaunt it, boy I know you want it_

_While I turn around you, watch me check up on it_

_Ooohh you watchin me shake it, I see it in ya face_

_Ya can't take it, it's blazin, you watch me in amazement_

_You can look at it as long as you don't grab it_

_If you don't go braggin, I'ma let you have it_

_You think that I'm teasin, but I ain't got no reason_

_I'm sure that I can please ya, but first I gotta read you_

Lee, like every other male in the club, was mesmerized by Kara's slow progression. She had a wireless headset on that allowed her hands to be free, and those hands were in motion that set his blood to boil. It was pure eroticism the way she molded her hands to herself, touching her body, her hips gyrating and sashaying.

He barely had enough time to grab hold of her waist as she settled herself into his lap, legs straddling his hips. He felt the heat of her through the thin linen of his pants, and he felt himself rising, embarrassment flooding his face. She smiled seductively as she realized the effect she was having on him.

_Oh boy you looking like you like what you see_

_Won't you come over and check up on it_

_I'm gonna let you work up on it  
Ladies let em check up on it, watch it while he _

_check up on it_

_Dip it, pop it, twirk it, stop it, check on me tonight_

She pulled him up out of the chair by the front of his shirt and brought their bodies flush together. She circled his neck with her arms, as his hands rode low on his waist. He looked at his face, hoping that he could continue moving without stepping on her feet. He felt her lift his chin up, look into his eyes and mouthed _follow my lead,_ as she led them onto the dance floor.

_I can tell wanna taste it, but I'm gonna make you chase it_

_You got to be patient, I like my men patient_

_More patience, you take mine, get you in more places_

_You can't be abrasive, has to know to pace it_

_If I let you get up on it, you gotta make a promise_

_That you gonna put it on me, like no ones put it on me_

_Don't bore me, just show me, all men talk but don't please_

_I can be a tease, but I really wanna please you_

The crowd went wild as the two of them danced onto the stage. It was a rare treat for the Wolf Pack to perform at their club, and the crowd was eating it up. Lee just hoped like hell no one would remember the guy the Kara Thrace had dragged up onto the stage.

"Take it home," she said to the woman that Lee had been introduced to as Dualla.

She grabbed his hand and led his off the stage and around the back to a door. The door emptied them into a hallway that was guarded by a couple of rough like guys. He knew they were there to help any stray people find there way back to the main club.

Kara led him down the hall and through a set of black doors into a set of private rooms. She turned to close the doors and Lee grabbed her pushing her forcibly back to the wall and pinning her body there with his own. He gazed into her eyes looking for a sign that this was what she wanted. He'd stop if she told him to, but he hoped like hell that she wouldn't.

She made the first move, molding her body more fully with his, encircling his neck with her arms as his hands settled firmly on her waist. Lee pushed her back against the wall, fumbling with the ties of her halter top until frustration had him tearing the garment in two, and tossing it aside. Kara gasped as the cold air caressed her naked skin and she reached up to tug at the hair on his neck bringing his mouth to hers in a heat searing kiss.

They continued to fumble with their clothing, wanting to be closer, needing the skin on skin contact. Neither of them cared that they were pressed against the wall, they couldn't wait, wouldn't wait until they could have the comfort of a bed. Kara sighed deeply as Lee nudge her legs apart and wrapped them around his waist as he sunk into her warmth and brought them both to Earth shattering pleasure.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"Are you hungry?" Kara asked after they had cleaned up and she had put on some warmer clothes.

"Yeah," Lee replied grabbing her around the waist and kissing her tenderly. "I didn't even get to finish my drink before some crazy woman seduced me onto the dance floor."

"If you had danced with me when I asked I wouldn't have had to take things into my own hands," she said kissing him back.

"Where would you like to go and eat?" He asked leaning back.

"I don't want to share you with anyone tonight," she responded grabbing their coats. "So, I'm taking you back to my place."

"I thought you were hungry," Lee said as he helped her into her coat.

"I happen to be one hell of a cook," she replied as she led him out of the rooms and down the hall. "And maybe when we've finished eating we can find other ways to entertain ourselves."

Lee grinned as the idea of being alone with Kara uninterrupted for hours settled into his mind. Maybe they would finally make it to a bed, and then a thought dashed his good mood like a bucket of cold water. They had been in a hurry, they hadn't taken the time to slow down and think.

"Kara, we didn't…"

"It's alright Lee," she said silencing him with a finger across his lips. "I'm on the pill."

He breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't that he didn't want kids, because he did; it was just that he wanted everything that went along with it. A house, a wife and the knowledge that the cylons wouldn't be able to come and take it all away from him without any forewarning.

"That is one sexy bitch of a car," Kara exclaimed as they came to his red sports car.

"Glad you like it," he responded admiring the little red machine. He had fallen in love with the car when he saw it, and why wouldn't he? He was a viper pilot, but he didn't get the opportunity to fly through the stars as much as he liked. So he bought the sports car so that he could fly along the roadways of planet Earth.

"Can I drive her?" Kara asked looking at him with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. Lee looked between her and the car, a smile creeping onto his face.

"Sorry, but we just don't know each other like that," he replied as he helped her into the passenger seat.

**I have a lot of surprises coming in the next couple of chapters. Some may be shocking and others maybe not. Please hit that purple review button and tell me what you think!!**


	4. Chapter 4: Memories Of A Past Life

**A/N: I have wrestled with this chapter and have decided that this is the best I can do, unless I want to take a month and try to make it better. I warned that there would be surprises and this chapter contains one. It is also heavier than the previous chapters, and a bit of an emotional journey. Don't worry there will be some lightness coming back.**

**I wish to thank everyone who has left a review, be it good, bad or just a little reminder that there are people who are enjoying this fic. Comments are always highly looked forward to and valued. So please don't hesitate to leave one.**

Chapter 4: Memories Of A Past Life

Lee Adama stood in the living room of Kara's penthouse apartment and looked out the wall of windows at the spectacular view of Manhattan. When he had stepped into Kara's apartment, he knew immediately that it wasn't home, just a place she had for whenever she was in town. The place was beautifully decorated, probably professionally so, but it lacked the warmth, the coziness of a real home.

He turned to look at the pictures that were scattered around the room, his eyes drawn to a framed photograph that sat on a table by the couch. In the picture Kara was standing in the embrace of Dualla's arms, her back resting against the other woman's chest. Even thought the picture was in black and white he could that the dresses they wore were black in color. They were gazing out at the sweeping vista of a mountain range, surrounded by the quiet beauty around them. There picture was poignant, serene, yet it made something in Lee ache; as if there was a sadness that enveloped these two women.

Lee moved over to a bookshelf to look at the two framed pictures that sat there. The first was a picture of three little boys who were grinning mischievously as they sat on a pier that jutted out over a lake. The boy in the middle was smaller than his counterparts, maybe a year or two younger. His wheat colored hair was all wet and spikey, and his blue-green eyes reminded Lee of the Islan Sea on Picon. The two boys who flanked him were obviously brothers, possibly even twins. They had identical smiles, the same sandy brown hair and warm brown eyes. The boys sat with their arms around each other's shoulders, friendship evident in their body language.

In the second picture, an older couple sat in a pair of Adirondack chairs holding hands. The man was large and burly, dark skinned with gentle, smiling brown eyes. The woman sitting next to him was slender, her skin like alabaster and her green eyes danced merrily, laughing at something the photographer had probably said. Behind them stood two men, the first dark haired, but with the same gentle brown eyes as the older man. The second looked nervous, as if he had to be coaxed into the picture. His hair was also dark, cut closely to his head, but he had the same green eyes as the woman. Sitting in front of the couple on the ground was a younger version of Kara and Dee. He guessed they were in their late teens, maybe early twenties, but there was no mistaking it was them.

"I hope you saved room for dessert," Kara said as she came back into the living room carrying a tray.

Lee walked over taking in the slices of something that looked completely decadent and smelled of rich chocolate. He settled on the couch next to her, taking the plate she offered him and sampling the treat. His eyes closed in bliss, and a small moan of appreciation escaped from his lips.

"If you tell me you whipped this up while in the kitchen, I'm going to kidnap you and never let you go," he said pure enjoyment creeping into his tone.

"I'm sorry to disappoint," Kara replied liking the idea of being kidnaped by him. "I had the doorman run down to my favorite bakery and pick it up."

"You have a doorman who does favors for you, and a bakery open after midnight?" Lee asked, looking at her in amazement.

"James will do anything I ask," she replied with a sly smile. "And this is New York, where you can get anything you want at any time you want it."

"Is that so," Lee purred placing his plate back on the table, and pulling Kara into his arms.

She went willingly, covering him with her body, heat radiating between them. He kissed her lips tenderly, savoring the sweetest taste of chocolate that lingered there, his hands gliding down her rib cage. He felt Kara snuggle against him, and he wrapped his arms around her, sighing in contentment.

"Tell me about your family?" He asked as he breathed in the fresh scent of her shampoo.

Kara stiffened a little, the idea of sharing some of the darkest moments of her life with him terrifying her. The ugliness of what she was, what she lived through was enough to make her sick; it could easily drive him away. She felt his hands gently rubbing up her back, and down her arms; his gesture soothing almost protective. She shifted a little so that instead of lying on top of him, she was between him and the back of the couch. Kara stalled for several minutes until she felt his fingers tip her chin up so that he could look into her eyes.

"You don't have to," he said feeling the tension that still radiated through her body. "I saw the pictures you have out and I was just curious."

He watched as she chewed on her lower lip, doubt and fear clearly evident in her eyes. He gathered her close to his body, wanting to ease her pain, shelter her from the world, and most importantly, hunt down and kill whoever had done this to her. The strong feelings overwhelmed him, shaking him to his core. He was falling in love with Kara Thrace.

Kara watched the emotions as they passed across Lee's face. In his arms she felt sheltered, as if nothing bad could or would touch her. It was a feeling that she wanted to cherish and dwell in. She saw something sweet and tender cross his face as he gathered her close, then his expression turned fierce, murderous. Confusion swam in his blue eyes, and then Kara's breath caught as a look of wonderment crossed his face, to be replaced by unadulterated joy.

"It's not a pretty story," she heard herself say. She was going to tell him about herself, and not just the things that he could find out if he googled her, but the things she had buried deep down, things that could still pull her screaming from sleep.

"I don't need to know," he said trailing a finger down her cheek. "It won't change the fact that I like you, or that I enjoy being with you."

"Maybe not, but I'd rather you hear it from me, than from people who are just hoping to make a few bucks sensationalising some one's pain."

Lee felt her tremble, and realized that for her this was terrifying. He wasn't sure if it was telling him about herself, or the fact that she already trusted him enough to do so that had her scared. He watched as she disengaged their bodies, stood up and gathered the two pictures from the bookcase. She handed them to him, then went to a closet where she pulled out a small photo album from a suitcase. He pulled her in close when she came back and settled on the couch.

"One day I'm going to insist that you reciprocate, and tell me why you feel envious of your brother, and why you're closer to your step mother than your father," she said to him in a tone he knew was both serious and playful. That she had been able to read all of that in the time that she had preformed on the Galactica surprised him; he thought he had learned to keep most of his feelings tightly under wraps.

"Turn about is fair play," he said giving her a cheeky smile. His heart stopped, then sped up as she closed the distance between them, and kissed him so softly he couldn't even be sure it was a kiss. She was giving him this small piece of softness, something he knew instinctively she rarely did.

"This is the family that rescued me," she said handing him the second picture from the bookshelf. "The Duallas were a foster family I had been placed with when I was eight years old. I have nothing from my life before them, except memories and night mares."

"You were abused?" He asked feeling the hot flash of anger sear through his mind. The thought that some one would hurt a child made his blood run cold, some one hurting Kara chased all rational thought from his mind and turned him into a howling beast.

"That may be too light a word," she replied, her voice catching. "I don't remember my father, if he had ever been there, but he was definitely gone by the time child protective services intervened. My mother was a drunk, and not a very happy one at that. She was mean when she was sober, and once she started in on the bottle, all bets were off."

"She constantly told me I was filth, that I was the most vile creature to be ever allowed into existence," Lee could hear the hurt of a little girl in Kara's voice. He didn't pull her onto his lap like he wanted, he knew that she needed to do this, but he did take her hand in his, softly stroking the palm with his fingers.

"She never called me by name, saying that trash didn't deserve to be thought of as anything but trash. She often said she should have gotten rid of me when she had the chance, and that some days it still wasn't too late. I had never been to school, and rarely left the hole in a wall apartment that was home. The only time I saw the light of day was when my injuries were to many too ignore and she had to take me somewhere to be seen."

"No one at any of the hospitals she took you to tried to intervene?" He asked appalled that some one hadn't helped the little girl sooner.

"It wasn't a hospital that she took me to," Kara replied ruthlessly. "She usually took me to some small time criminal who had your basic first aid; no one who would care what she was doing to her kid."

Kara stopped, the dark flood of memories reminding her of how worthless she had felt as a child; how frightened that one day her mother would kill her and no one would ever know or care. The continuous stroking of Lee's fingers was what helped her stay firmly entrenched in the now.

"I don't know if she had a job, but she left everyday for several hours, locking me in either the bedroom or the closet," Kara said taking a deep breath, trying to beat back the darkness that threatened at the edge of her vision.

Lee couldn't take any more, Kara's pain was to evident; so palatable that he could feel it in every fiber of his being. He hurt for the little girl who had lived through it, and he ached to take the woman sitting next to him in his arms.

"How did it end?" He asked drawing her in closer against his body.

"One day she came home and dragged me from the closet cussing and screaming at me," Kara replied her eyes glassy as she replayed that day over in her mind. "I couldn't tell if she was drunk, but by this time it didn't really matter. She was hitting me, kicking and I guess at some point she felt that her hands weren't doing enough damage, so she grabbed a knife. She stabbed me twice and the pain was so bad that I screamed, broke away from her and hid under the bed. I don't know if she tried to get under that bed to finish what she started, I must have passed out, and when I woke up, I was in a hospital."

"I was more animal than child, screaming, biting, lashing out in any way. I think at one point the social workers I had been assigned to were seriously considering institutionalizing me, safer than putting me in some one's home. But there was no room anywhere for a child who need in house psychiatric care, so they placed me in what was called short term emergency care."

"The Duallas," he said shaking his head in understanding.

"Yeah," she replied. "They had decided to give up on fostering, feeling that the system wasn't geared to actually helping the child. They took me in reluctantly, never having had a foster child who had been through such an ordeal. But they were told it would temporary, a night maybe two; just until a bed opened up."

"At first I think they were as afraid of me as I was of the whole world," Kara said on a soft chuckle. "They had 3 kids of their own, and I didn't know it the first two nights I was there. I was so weak from my injuries, fighting the staff at the hospital and the heavy narcotic drugs they had me on; I probably wouldn't have been able to hurt any one."

"It was Mary, mom who saved me," Kara said tears standing out in her eyes. "She came to the room they had put me in, thinking I was asleep from the medication. I could feel her looking at me for several minutes, and then I heard her say, _Why would some one want to hurt such a sweet looking child?_ I automatically replied, _Because I'm trash._" Kara had to stop and take a deep breath, realizing in that moment if she hadn't heard the words that Mary Dualla had spoken, her life may have turned out a lot differently.

"That was the turning point for all of us. Mary became determined to erase all the damage that had been done to me. She wrestled with child protective services, even going so far as to hire an attorney to fight the state from placing me in an institution or another foster home. She nursed me back to health, and through the love of that family they healed me. I am the person I am because of them."

This is my mom and dad," she said pointing to the couple in the chairs. "Dee you know."

"This is Brad," she pointed to the man with the same green eyes as the woman she called mom.

"And this is Hayden," she said pointing to the other man standing behind her parents. "This is my family."

Lee watched the love she had for these people erase the shadows from her eyes. He felt her body relax into his, and he pulled her onto his lap. He felt her lips nuzzle him, so he tipped his neck to give her better access. He pulled back a little so that he could capture her lips with his own, kissing her tenderly, gently.

"I'm glad you found them," he said looking into her eyes. He put the picture of her family on the table, his eyes falling on the picture of her and Dee. Once again he was struck by the poignancy of the moment that was captured in that photograph.

"This picture of the two of you is so beautiful," he said picking it up and bringing it closer. "Yet I feel like it is a moment shrouded in sadness, desolation."

He couldn't help but feel the shudders that raced through her body. The small cry that was torn from her lips startled him. And he saw that her gaze was focused on another picture, a picture of three little boys, their arms wrapped around each other, sitting on a pier.

"It is all that and more," she said her voice barely audible. "This picture was taken the day we buried Benjamin." Kara told him as she traced the image of her and Dee.

"Who is Benjamin?" Lee asked wondering if he might have missed the name some where in the story he had just heard from her.

"He was my son," she replied, her fingers like the gossamer wings of butterflies caressing the face of the boy with the blue-green eyes. The boy whose name was Benjamin, the boy who had his mother's smile.


	5. Chapter 5: Shadows On The Wall

**A/N: I know this chapter has been long overdue, and that many might have to start from the beginning just to remember what this little fic is all about. I apologize for the long wait and hope that you never have to wait that long again. Please leave a review if you are so inclined and thank you for reading.**

Chapter 5: Shadows On The Wall

Kara Thrace had lost a child. As the thought ripped through Lee he felt his heart clench and his arms tighten around her. He had suffered loss at the end of his world, but nothing that could come remotely close to losing a child. Questions crowded his mind, yet he held back not wanting to add to her pain.

"You don't have to say any more," he whispered into her ear. He would just hold her close, and when the pain and sorrow eased from her body, he would love her with his own.

She turned her face to his, her lips skimming his jaw, his chin and then capturing his mouth in a sweet sorrowful kiss. He trembled in her arms, his body already clamoring for the sweet release he had experienced in her private dressing room. Lee let his hands move down her rib cage, eliciting moans from her, setting her body a flame. She turned in his lap until she was straddling his hips, bringing his erection against her center.

"We have on too many clothes," he breathed.

He felt her shift, her hands going to the buttons on his shirt. As she slid the fabric from his shoulders, she kissed a line down his neck and chest to the tight muscles of his stomach. Lee sat up quickly and swept her shirt over her head, tossing it carelessly to the floor. He stopped, his breath catching in his chest as he looked at her bathed in the ambient glow from the candles she had lit when they first came in.

He could feel himself falling for this woman he had met only a few short weeks ago. The feelings that raged through him were some of the most powerful he had ever felt, and he realized he didn't want them to end. He made love to her on her couch, using his hands, mouth and body to show her exactly how he felt. They lay in each other's arms, spent and trying to catch their breath.

"His name was Conor," Kara said into the quiet that had enveloped them.

"You don't have to do this," Lee said kissing her lightly.

"I want to," she responded. "I need you to hear this."

"Alright, but it won't change anything for me," he replied. "I'll still be here in the morning if that's what you want."

Unable to help herself, Kara kissed him deeply; pouring all the emotion she was beginning to feel for him into it. She pulled back when he began to respond, knowing that if she didn't, they'd never get around to this conversation.

"I thought I had it all," she started. "I had been accepted into the Air Force Academy, an achievement for anybody, but especially for me considering where I came from."

Lee smiled, he understood what she meant. Most of the pilots he now trained were graduates of the lauded Air Force Academy, and although he knew they were the cream of the crop, he felt some of the nuggets he had washed out of basic flight on their journey to Earth were better qualified.

"I wanted into NASA," she said her eyes shining with a dream that only she remembered. "I thought there had to be somewhere better than here, and I wanted to find it. So my path was simple; Air Force Academy, serve in the Air Force as a pilot, obtain an advanced degree in engineering, then apply for consideration as an Astronaut Candidate. It would take years, but it was what I wanted; I wanted off planet Earth. I didn't belong here."

"What happened?" Lee asked once again pulling her close.

"Training exercise," Kara replied in a detached voice. "Two people dead, seven injured. I still don't really know what went wrong, just that when the dust settled I had been medically discharged from the Air Force, because of damage to my knee that would interfere with my performance of military duties."

"I was 23 and my life plan had been torn apart. I felt lost and adrift, so I went back home to recuperate, but what I really did was fall into a deep depression and contemplated suicide. That's when I met Conor."

"You feel instantly in love," Lee teased hoping to inject so levity into the heavy moment.

"No, I hated him on sight," she laughed. "He was so arrogant, so self confident and he could never answer a question straight on. He always wrapped it up and turned it back onto you. I use to daydream about wiping the cocky grin off his face, and walking away. But he was nothing if not persistent, and he dogged me to get myself back together."

"The Wolf Pack had been a little group that had come together while we were in the military, and since all five of us had been discharged after the training exercise, I think it was only natural for us to gravitate back towards each other. Shared pain, shattered dreams, that sort of thing."

"Conor pushed me to follow any and all possibilities with the Wolf Pack, and soon the band took off. We were flying in and out of cities around the world, and I didn't see much of him at the time. It made me realize that I missed him. I missed the way he smiled, his relentlessness in prodding me out of my depression. I missed having his steady presence, his guiding influence, and I missed the way he looked at me; as if I was the center of his world."

"I can see why he would feel that way," Lee said looking at her. Kara felt a small thrill at the heat in eyes, the naked desire that was shining through.

"When we flew into New York after our European tour, he was standing in baggage claim and I realized that I wanted something more from him. I walked up to him and kissed him," Kara said with a smile.

"Knocked him off his feet?" Lee asked having had first hand knowledge of Kara's kisses.

"Something like that," she replied. "We became inseparable. Conor went on all of our tours, he moved to New York to be closer to me, and even bought an apartment for us in L.A. Things between us seemed to be following a script from a fairy tale."

"So by that I assume he got down on bended knee, and asked for your hand in marriage?" Lee asked. He tried to keep his tone light, but the thought of her marrying some one else burned a hole in his gut.

"Not quite," she said shaking her head. "I wanted a long courtship, I needed to be sure that this was right before I promised to spend the rest of my life with him. But things don't always turn out the way you think they should. While I was trying to be sure, mother nature intervened and I got pregnant."

"Threw a monkey wrench in your plans," he said softly. Lee could imagine the sheer terror that seized her at the thought if becoming a parent; especially if she ended up having to raise the child by herself.

"Except Conor was ecstatic," she said with a little sigh. "The thought of becoming a father sent him over the moon, and he was impossible to live with. Every time I turned around he was buying something for the baby, making plans for when the baby got here. He was so enthralled with the impending arrival of the baby, it was impossible not to get wrapped up in it with him."

"He was absolutely positive that we were going to have a girl, that we never even discussed boy's names."

"You didn't find out before hand?" Lee asked rubbing his hands down her back.

"I wanted to be surprised, and he was so confident that it was a girl that we never felt the need to find out," she replied.

"So how did he take it when the doctor announced that it was a boy?"

"I thought that he would be upset, but he took it in stride," she said with a shrug. "He said maybe next time we would have a little girl. I was still trying to get my head around having the one, much less thinking about doing it all over again. He came up with the name Ben, and so Benjamin Lyon Conor was born."

"Conor was an enthusiastic father, and it was needed to make up for not only my lack of parenting skills; but also my frequent absences. He insisted that I continue touring with the Wolf Pack and producing new albums. He said that I got something from the music that I wouldn't be able to replace by staying at home."

"Was that a difficult decision for you?" Lee asked. He wondered if she felt that she had abandoned her child to go jetting around the world.

"At first, no. I was relieved that I didn't have to handle all the little things involved with a baby. But when I came home and Ben was walking, I felt cheated. I was missing things that I didn't even know existed. I didn't want to miss these big events in Ben's life, so we cut back our tour schedules and built a recording studio on our property in California. I started spending more time with Conor and Ben; eventually talk turned to getting married."

"A natural progression I'm sure," Lee responded with only a slight twinge of jealousy in his voice.

He tried not to fell cheated that she had experienced a deep abiding love with another man, and that they had shared the joys of having a child together. Lee had to force himself to accept that she had a life before he had shown up, and that maybe this other man would be the stick by which she measured future relationships.

"I was heading out for a three month tour that would end the day before Ben's fifth birthday," Kara said. "I promised Conor that I would seriously consider marriage to him and that I would let him know definitively when I got back. He told me it was enough that I was with him, but I knew marriage was what he really wanted. He was the total package kind of guy."

"Something came between you," Lee said into the quiet.

It wasn't hard to imagine that the death of a child could and would put a considerable amount of strain between parents, but Lee just couldn't imagine leaving Kara should they suffer that kind of tragedy. He would need her to heal that part of him that would be devastated, as well as be the one she turned to when the pain was too much for her to bear.

"Conor called me the night before we were to arrive in Boston to tell me that he and Ben would meet me at the airport," she replied. "He was eager to see me, and to be honest I had missed him as well. I knew he was eager to know what I had decided about marrying him, but he didn't press me."

"I knew something was wrong as soon as we got off the plane," she said, a faraway look stealing into her hazel eyes. "It was a beautiful day, the sun shining out of a crystal blue sky, the air fresh and crisp; a day were everything had a certain kind of clarity to it. The only thing that was out of place was the four state troopers waiting for us on the tarmac."

"They verified who we were and then told us there had been an accident and we needed to come with them to Boston Medical Center. Despite all of our questions, they wouldn't tell us any more than that, so we knew it was bad; whatever it was, it was catastrophic. I tried to call Conor while Dee tried to call our parents. Neither of us got an answer so we still had no idea what was going on."

"We were ushered into the hospital through a service entrance as the media had already been alerted. They had stacked out the main entrance hoping to be the first to get photos of us; it's sick what they are willing to go through to sell a story."

"We never made it to the small conference room that had been set up for our arrival. My brother Hayden was sitting on the floor, his back against a wall with his knees drawn up to his chest. At first I didn't notice the way his body shook, but as we moved closer he looked up and the look on his face was one of such intense sorrow that it broke my heart. Right at that point I thought it was our parents, that we had lost them; that I had lost the people who had become my champions, my heroes."

Kara stopped speaking for a moment as she was transported back to that day, back to that hallway in hospital when her world crashed around her. Lee felt the tremors that wracked her body, he desperately wanted to pull her in closer, but he knew that wasn't what she needed now. She needed to finish, she needed to share this with him so that he could feel her pain, accept that she would always grieve the lost of her child.

"Hayden jumped to his feet and came to me. When he took my hands into his, I tried to break away from him. I knew what he was going to say, and I didn't want to hear it. I heard some one screaming, and only later did I find out it had be me. My parents came rushing from the room, doing everything they could to try to calm be, but I was beyond anyone's salvation."

"The doctor's told me they had done everything they could, but Ben was beyond saving. He had died the day before his fifth birthday." Her voice trailed away, a silent testimony to the pain that had been left behind by her beautiful little boy.

"The police told us that the car Conor had been driving was struck by a large SUV driven by a blond haired woman. Witnesses said she had blown through a stop sign striking the car on the passenger side and sending it hurtling through the air. They said the driver never stopped, never even slowed down."

"When I could breathe again, I asked about Conor. Was he injured? Where was he dead?"

Once again Kara stopped talking, her breathing coming in short little gasps that ripped through Lee. He remembered how he felt when he realized that he had lost his mother, family and friends when the cylons had attacked. He knew that Kara was once again living the nightmare of her life.

"He was dead," Lee said wanting to spare her from having to say it aloud.

"No," she said shaking her head. "They said he was holding Ben and pleading for God not to take his child. At first he wouldn't let go of him, afraid that he never hold him again. The paramedics were amazed that Conor wasn't hurt himself, after all the car had been torn in two from the impact. He had a few cuts and bruises, but all his damage had been done on the inside, to his heart and brain."

"When they told him that they had lost Ben, they said he seemed to stop living right before their eyes. He wanted to see him and so they took him back to the trauma room and left him alone. When they came back to check on him, Conor was gone. No one knew where he went, and no one has seen him since."

"You mean he just left?" Lee asked stunned.

"I guess his grief was more than he could handle," Kara replied. "He has never called nor sent any kind of communication. I don't know if he's even still alive. I didn't just lose Ben that day, I lost Conor as well. The sun had never shined for me like it did on that day, and it has never shined like that since."

"I know saying I'm sorry doesn't help the pain go away," Lee said pulling back so that he could look into her eyes. "Nothing will ever make it easier, all you hope for are times when it just doesn't hurt so bad."

"I hold onto the knowledge that for a very brief amount of time, I held the world in my hands when I had Ben," she said allowing Lee's gaze to soothe that dark part of her soul. "He was all sunshine and laughter, and he would hate for any of us to grieve; so I try not to let the darkness completely envelope me."

"Come away with me," Lee said in a rush. He knew if that if he thought this through, he wouldn't make the offer. "Sam and I own a fairly large house in the middle of nowhere Montana. We'd love for you to join us, but more importantly I'm not ready to part company with you."

Kara knew she should say no. She knew from having talked with his brother that this was a vacation that had been in the works for several months, and that they were all looking forward to escaping the burdens that had continued to plague them once they had reach a safe haven. But Lee made her feel something she hadn't felt in a very long time. She wasn't sure what it was, but she knew she wasn't ready for it to end. She knew that they would never have the happy ever after, those things didn't exist for people like her, but she could do with a little happy right now.

"Alright flyboy," she said nipping him playfully on the chin. "I'll come out to nowhere Montana with you, but I'm telling you now I don't sleep in the grass under the stars."

"I would have never pegged you for high maintenance, but I'll pitch a tent to help out with your delicate sensibilities. Would hate for all that pretty skin to be marred by bug bites." Lee grinned as he ducked the pillow she threw at him.


End file.
